Ed Limato, longtime Hollywood agent, dead at 73

LOS ANGELES - Ed Limato, a longtime Hollywood agent known for shepherding A-list talent and throwing lively pre-Oscar parties at his Coldwater Canyon home, died Saturday. He was 73.

Limato died of lung disease at his home in Beverly Hills, said Christian Muirhead, a representative of the William Morris Endeavor Entertainment agency.

Limato, whose client list at various times was top-heavy with such stars as Kevin Costner, Billy Crystal, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Steve Martin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone and Denzel Washington, spent most of his 44-year career at the William Morris Agency and at International Creative Management.

Atypically, Limato nurtured genuine friendships with many of the stars he represented.

Limato spent 10 years with William Morris before returning to ICM, where he became the agency's president.

Survivors include his 99-year-old mother, Angelina; a brother, Paul; and a sister, Angela.

- Los Angeles Times